BigApp
October 18th, 2008, 10:57 AM
As I looked down this week’s schedule, I kept seeing Elon/UTC, Western Illinois/Indiana St, Tn State/Austin Peay, Wofford/WCU and Northern Arizona/Idaho State games. I was able to find four that had any “oomph” to them and a fifth that, well, I needed to stretch a little bit. For 2008 we are 14-16 in finding the upsets, and about 30 total points separates us from 20 (or more) wins. This week, I’ll let you decide which is that 5th game:
1. #11 New Hampshire (4-1, 1-1) @ Northeastern (2-4, 1-1) –You know the type furniture you that is sold at Dollar General or Rite-Aid? The house built by the UNH Wildcats this season is very much like that furniture. It looked all shiny and cool when it was new, in this case opening with a 4-0 record. You wanted to make it a centerpiece in your living room where everyone could see it, maybe even consider it the best piece you have. So impressive it seemed, that some were giving UNH #1 votes. Well, like that cheap furniture, it’s already starting to age, weather and gather dust. You realize that it’s made of pressed chipboard covered with a bad veneer, probably made in China or Bangladesh.
Although they don’t have the “W’s” to show for it, Northeastern is a decent football team with losses @ GaSouthern (in OT), @ Syracuse (by 9 points) and a 4-point nail biter to UMass last week. The only other decent team UNH has faced this year was William & Mary—they lost. At home too. Like that cheap furniture, the veneer will peel a little more today.
2. #14 Liberty (6-0) vs. #34 Lafayette (4-1) – You may not realize it, but Liberty has won 11 consecutive games, and 12 of 13. That lone loss was a late-night one-point squeaker at Toledo more than one year ago (October 6, 2007). Since losing @ Elon last season in September, Liberty has been flat-out stellar. I was second-guessed on multiple occasions at the end of last year and this year in my belief that the Flames are a very underrated football team. This year, when it’s time to dole out non-CAA playoff bids, this game may be viewed as the last critical Non-Conference matchup of the season. Even an undefeated record against a bad Big South might not be enough for the Falwellians.
Lafayette has quietly put together a 4-1 season. A win here should put the Leopards into the Top 25. Liberty passed its big non-conference road test at Youngstown, this is their big non-conference home game. A lot on the line for both teams in this one.
3. #25 Hampton (4-1, 3-0) vs Norfolk St (2-4, 1-2) – All it took for me to choose this one is this: Next Saturday, it’s NSU’s first home game in 5 weeks. Long road stretch for the Spartans, and they haven’t fared well in any of them.
4. #44 Sacred Heart (6-0, 2-0) vs Albany (3-3, 2-0) – Sacred Heart has an impressive record at 6-0, don’t they? The Great Danes, not so much. Let’s pretend these two teams are chefs, shall we? Albany has been a contestant on Iron Chef (the Japanese version) with meals prepared with UMass, Hofstra, UNH and Delaware—all beef with no MSG. The Pioneers have been making sugar-frosted Ramen noodles with an ingredient list comprised of Assumption, Bentley, Iona and St Francis. No need for Marc Summers, I can already see it “Unwrapped”.
5. #12 McNeese State (3-2, 0-1) @ #32 Sam Houston (2-2, 0-1) – You see things from time to time that just seem to defy logic. The history of this matchup is one of those to me. Sam Houston has beaten MSU exactly four times in 13 meetings on their own home field. These two started playing annually again in 1988—Ronald Reagan was still President. The Bearkats have won only twice against the Cowboys in Huntsville in that time. This time, both teams are coming off heartbreaking losses. SHSU’s Rhett Bomar has been added to the Payton award list. To stay on it, he needs to win this game. This is a “Loser Leaves Town” match in the Southland title race.
1. #11 New Hampshire (4-1, 1-1) @ Northeastern (2-4, 1-1) –You know the type furniture you that is sold at Dollar General or Rite-Aid? The house built by the UNH Wildcats this season is very much like that furniture. It looked all shiny and cool when it was new, in this case opening with a 4-0 record. You wanted to make it a centerpiece in your living room where everyone could see it, maybe even consider it the best piece you have. So impressive it seemed, that some were giving UNH #1 votes. Well, like that cheap furniture, it’s already starting to age, weather and gather dust. You realize that it’s made of pressed chipboard covered with a bad veneer, probably made in China or Bangladesh.
Although they don’t have the “W’s” to show for it, Northeastern is a decent football team with losses @ GaSouthern (in OT), @ Syracuse (by 9 points) and a 4-point nail biter to UMass last week. The only other decent team UNH has faced this year was William & Mary—they lost. At home too. Like that cheap furniture, the veneer will peel a little more today.
2. #14 Liberty (6-0) vs. #34 Lafayette (4-1) – You may not realize it, but Liberty has won 11 consecutive games, and 12 of 13. That lone loss was a late-night one-point squeaker at Toledo more than one year ago (October 6, 2007). Since losing @ Elon last season in September, Liberty has been flat-out stellar. I was second-guessed on multiple occasions at the end of last year and this year in my belief that the Flames are a very underrated football team. This year, when it’s time to dole out non-CAA playoff bids, this game may be viewed as the last critical Non-Conference matchup of the season. Even an undefeated record against a bad Big South might not be enough for the Falwellians.
Lafayette has quietly put together a 4-1 season. A win here should put the Leopards into the Top 25. Liberty passed its big non-conference road test at Youngstown, this is their big non-conference home game. A lot on the line for both teams in this one.
3. #25 Hampton (4-1, 3-0) vs Norfolk St (2-4, 1-2) – All it took for me to choose this one is this: Next Saturday, it’s NSU’s first home game in 5 weeks. Long road stretch for the Spartans, and they haven’t fared well in any of them.
4. #44 Sacred Heart (6-0, 2-0) vs Albany (3-3, 2-0) – Sacred Heart has an impressive record at 6-0, don’t they? The Great Danes, not so much. Let’s pretend these two teams are chefs, shall we? Albany has been a contestant on Iron Chef (the Japanese version) with meals prepared with UMass, Hofstra, UNH and Delaware—all beef with no MSG. The Pioneers have been making sugar-frosted Ramen noodles with an ingredient list comprised of Assumption, Bentley, Iona and St Francis. No need for Marc Summers, I can already see it “Unwrapped”.
5. #12 McNeese State (3-2, 0-1) @ #32 Sam Houston (2-2, 0-1) – You see things from time to time that just seem to defy logic. The history of this matchup is one of those to me. Sam Houston has beaten MSU exactly four times in 13 meetings on their own home field. These two started playing annually again in 1988—Ronald Reagan was still President. The Bearkats have won only twice against the Cowboys in Huntsville in that time. This time, both teams are coming off heartbreaking losses. SHSU’s Rhett Bomar has been added to the Payton award list. To stay on it, he needs to win this game. This is a “Loser Leaves Town” match in the Southland title race.